


Phones of cups and string and love

by CheCheCheer



Series: Bokuaka week 2020 [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi is the sappiest bastard you'll ever see, Alternate Universe - College/University, BokuAka Week, BokuAka Week 2020, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up, M/M, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:34:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25654471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheCheCheer/pseuds/CheCheCheer
Summary: “Can you hear me?!”Akaashi brought his cup to his mouth. “Yeah. Loud and clear.”“Awesome! We can talk even easier this way! We won't have to scream out the window!” Bokuto exclaimed, and even through the cup Akaashi could tell he was almost talking too loud. “We’re gonna be best friends, right?”“Sure.” Akaashi said. He had only moved to this new house last week, and already his new neighbor was making grand plans to be the best of friends. Akaashi wouldn't complain though. He wasn't the best at making new friends, and it was something he’d have to do. Might as well start now.Akaashi was seven years old, and he didn't think much of Bokuto Koutarou.--------------Bokuaka week day 4- Childhood friends/ friends to lovers.In which Bokuto and Akaashi grow closer with the help of a cup phone and time.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Series: Bokuaka week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1852030
Comments: 6
Kudos: 67
Collections: Bokuaka Week 2020





	Phones of cups and string and love

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Bokuaka week! It's day 4, and the prompts I used were "Childhood Friends" and "Friends to Lovers"
> 
> This was a lot of fun to write, and I spent a lot longer on it then I reasonably should have. If you liked, do drop a comment, I can use them to fuel my writing motivation. Also, I unintentionally wrote Akaashi as the sappiest person you'll ever meet. Why do I always write him pinning so hard?

“Ready?”

Akaashi nodded mutely, sliding his window open all the way. The chair he stood on wobbled dangerously, but without it he couldn't reach his bedroom window. Such were the woes of a seven year old. 

Bokuto stood across from him, his own bedroom window a mere six feet out from Akaashi’s. He wound his arm back, before hurling the object clutched in his hand with all his might. Akaashi fumbled to catch the small plastic cup as it hurled towards him. Bokuto’s aim was a bit off, but he managed to catch the cup.

Akaashi leaned up, taking the string attached to the cup and draping it on the hook next to the window that he convinced his dad to instal earlier that day. “Is it set up on your end?” He called once his task was complete.

Bokuto nodded happily, his ever present grin stretched on his face. He brought the cup to his mouth, whispering in it, and Akaashi brought his own cup to his ear, listening closely. The string vibrated, and Bokuto’s word’s rang true in his ear.

“Can you hear me?!”

Akaashi brought his cup to his mouth. “Yeah. Loud and clear.”

“Awesome! We can talk even easier this way! We won't have to scream out the window!” Bokuto exclaimed, and even through the cup Akaashi could tell he was almost talking too loud. “We’re gonna be best friends, right?”

“Sure.” Akaashi said. He had only moved to this new house last week, and already his new neighbor was making grand plans to be the best of friends. Akaashi wouldn't complain though. He wasn't the best at making new friends, and it was something he’d have to do. Might as well start now.

Akaashi was seven years old, and he didn't think much of Bokuto Koutarou.

\-----------------------------------------------

Somewhere along the way, Bokuto had convinced Akaashi to instal a bell system on their long running cup phone. This way, Bokuto explained, they could alert each other when they wanted to talk. 

When the bell rang at the dead of night, or as close to the dead of night as an eight year old Akaashi would stay up for, Akaashi didn't waste time in picking up his cup phone, the string threaded lightly through the ever slightly cracked open window. The blinds were mostly closed, but through the cracks he could see Bokuto’s silhouette hovering from behind his closed curtain.

“Hello Bokuto.” Akaashi whispered, unwilling to cut the silence of the night. “What do you need?”

“Akaashi! I had to ask you something.”

“Alright, shoot.”

“If you were part of a witness protection program, what would your new name be?”

Akaashi huffed, not really surprised. He’d only known his excitable neighbor for a year, but he was well used to his odd questions at even odder hours. “Witness protection program?”

“Yeah, I was watching this movie with my mom and the main character had to join it because they saw something the shouldnt and the bad guy had it out for them!” Bokuto explained, excitedly. “It was epic, the good guy got to choose a new name and everything. I wish I got to name myself, except I also really like my name.”

Akaashi gave it a moment of consideration before answering. “Hitoshi Kihara. A good, sensible name.”

“Woah that’s so cool. Who is that? Is he like a volleyball player or something, they’re so cool!”

“He was a Wheat geneticist, actually.”

“Oh. That’s kind of not as cool.” Bokuto admitted, a tad quieter this time. “But it's cool you know about that kind of stuff! I've never met someone who knew about… about wheat genetics.”

“Nevermind that Bokuto. What would your new name be?”

“Hedwig!”

“Hedwig? I didn't know you read Harry Potter Bokuto.”

“Harry Potter?” Bokuto queshtioned. “Who’s that?”

Akaashi pulled away from the cup phone, giving it an offended look as if it was responsible for Bokuto’s answer. “What do you mean Bokuto.” Akaashi asked finally. “What do you mean who’s Harry Potter?”

“I don't know who that is Akaashi, I just saw this cool poster with this owl outside the theater yesterday and my dad said the owl was named Hedwig. So I thought, that’s a cool name for a cool owl, I want a cool name like Hedwig!”

Akaashi was silent for a long moment. “You, me, my house, tomorrow morning. We have some reading to do.”

“Reading??”

Akaashi was eight years old, and if this friendship was to work out Bokuto Koutarou had some classic’s to catch up on.

\----------------------------------------------

Akaashi watched as the pulley system hoisted the bucket from Bokuto’s window to his own. An eleven year old Akaashi had spent all of yesterday putting it together with Bokuto, and now you could pull on a rope on either end to send a bucket tied to the rope across the gap between their windows.

Akaashi reached out as Bokuto finished wheeling the bucket over, pulling out something soft and warm wrapped in cloth. This mysterious package was the entire reason Bokuto wanted to build a pulley system. Akaashi told him he could just walk it to his house, but Bokuto insisted it was more funny this way.

Bokuto watched eagerly as Akaashi unwrapped the package, to reveal… a pile of cookies. Still warm, they smelled heavenly.

Akaashi picked up his end of the cup phone, turning to stare dumbly at his friend. “Cookies?”

Bokuto nodded and grinned, taking up his own end of the cup phone. “Yup! My mom made them, and they were chocolate and I know that’s your favorite so I wanted to give you some!”

Akaashi smiled softly. “Thanks Bokuto. Did you just use this as your excuse to make a pulley system?”

Bokuto rolled his eyes. “Well yes. I guess. But also no! Cuz now I can send you little gifts all the time!”

There he went again. Akaashi knew that Bokuto was a nice person. But sometimes, moments like these would come along and Akaashi would be blown away by how much of a saint Bokuto really was. He had his doubts when the golden eyed boy first introduced himself, back when Akaashi was the new kid in town. But now it was impossible to think of a time when he didn't have this easy friendship.

Akaashi was eleven years old, and he knew Bokuto Koutarou was his best friend.

\----------------------------------------------

Akaashi was fourteen years old when the plastic cups of their cup phone finally kicked the bucket. He was surprised at how long it lasted, seven whole years, but the plastic was worn down and cracked and Akaashi could barely hear Bokuto speak.

So when Bokuto rang the bell, and hoisted over a new plastic cup to reattach the string too, Akaashi couldn't say he wasn't surprised. That didn’t mean he didn’t have questions, however.

“But why do you care about replacing it so much?” Akaashi asked, a tad louder than he usually spoke so that Bokuto could hear him over the distance. “We have phones. Why don't we use those instead?”

Bokuto shook his head, threading his end of the string through the hole in the cup. “It’s not the same. This cup phone has memories for us.”

“What do you mean?”

Bokuto turned those striking gold eyes on Akaashi. “We only started talking all that often because I insisted we install this cup phone. Without it, I don't think we’d be as close as we are now.” Even though they were a ways away from each other, Akaashi could see Bokuto’s blinding grin. “And I don’t want to forget how I met my very best friend.”

There it was. Bokuto had always been nostalgic, sappy even. But never had Akaashi felt so in the center of that fond gaze, that adoring look. Never before had Akaashi been the one to make Bokuto look so happy and reminiscent, and his heart seemed to pick up it’s pace. 

An overwhelming desire overtook him, to make sure that his best friend remained this way forever, so happy and carefree. Akaashi wanted nothing more than to make more memories like this for Bokuto to look back on and smile about.

Akaashi was fourteen years old, and he knew he had a crush on Bokuto Koutarou.

\-----------------------------------------

Akaashi was sixteen when he entered his second year of highschool. It was a daunting thought, not because he only had two years of highschool left, but because his best friend, and not-so-newly discovered crush only had one left.

After Bokuto was done with third year, what would happen then? Would he move away, go to some far off college? Would almost a decade of cup phones and late night conversations finally come to an end? Bokuto had been a part of Akaashi’s life for so long that he didn't know what he would do if Bokuto was suddenly gone.

Bokuto was not only his crush (of two years, which Akaashi thought was an absurd amount of time for a mere crush, what the hell,) but he was also his best friend. They’d been through thick and thin together and Akaashi wanted nothing more to stick by his side even longer.

Akaashi was yanked out of his thoughts by the sound of the bell by his window ringing frantically. Speak of the devil. 

Akaashi raced over, probably faster than he reasonably should have, and yanked the window open, pulling his cup phone to his ear in one swift, practised motion. His eyes fixed on Bokuto standing at his own open window.

“...Hi Akaashi.” Bokuto said quietly.

“Hi Bokuto.” Akaashi replied. “Are you okay?”

Bokuto nodded meekly, looking down at the ground below their windows. “I’ve got an important question for you, okay?”

Akaashi suddenly felt nervous. What on earth was Bokuto acting so nervous about? “Spill it. I'm listening.”

Bokuto let out a long breath, and the string vibrated from the force of it. “I just got off the phone with our old volleyball captain.”

“Okay…” Akaashi muttered, a silent urge for him to go on.

“He wants me to take over. Be the new captain.” Bokuto continued. “And I told him I'd do it.”

“Well that’s great!” Akaashi exclaimed, a genuine smile on his face. “You’ve wanted to be captain since your first year.”

Bokuto smiled, but it seemed a tad subdued. “Yeah. I'm excited. But, that’s not what this is about.”

“Right. You said you had a question for me?”

“Akaashi, I want you to be my vice captain!” Bokuto exclaimed the words in a rush, and it took Akaashi’s brain a moment to catch up and process them. “Don't feel pressured though!” Bokuto reassured him, his words desperately filling up the silence. “It’s a lot of responsibility and its okay if you don't-”

“I’ll do it.” Akaashi cut off his rambling. “You don’t even have to ask. I’ll do it.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

It was like all of Bokuto’s worries of being refused melted away, and his smile suddenly seemed that much more genuine. 

“Thank you Akaashi!” He cheered, his free hand shooting up in the air in victory. “This is gonna be the best year ever just you wait!”

Akaashi couldn’t help the grin that split his face. Seeing Bokuo happy like this would never fail to make his heart warm. Akaashi knew that he would do anything to keep Bokuto happy like this, that he would do anything to earn the right to stay by this star’s side and help him shine.

Akaashi was sixteen years old, and he realized he was in love with Bokuto Koutarou.

\--------------------------------------

Akaashi was seventeen years old, and his best friend is moving away. To a college up north in Sendai. Only two hours by train, but Bokuto may have been in America for how stark the distance was from their six foot long cup phone connection.

Akaashi is scared. The day he first started fearing more than a year ago has finally arrived. Bokuto will go off and achieve great things, and Akaashi will be left behind in the empty halls of Fukurodani, the only reminder of what he used to have in the abandoned string phone he knows he won't be able to bring himself to take down.

His heart hurts, but Akaashi was never one to give up without a fight. He’s not willing to let his star walk out of his life so easily. Arrangements are made, and he travels out to Sendai without telling Bokuto where he’s going.

When Bokuto walks into his dorm, a long string is laid out on his bed, a single cup tied on one end and a matching cup nowhere to be found. The lone cup has three simple words written on the underside.

WAIT FOR ME. 

When Bokuto calls Akaashi that night, asking if he knows anything, Akaashi feigns ignorance. He grips the matching cup tightly, out of Bokuto’s sight.

Akaashi tells Bokuto he best save the half complete cup phone, just in case it’s important.

Akaashi was seventeen years old, and he’ll do anything to get back to Bokuto Koutarou.

\-------------------------------------

Akaashi is eighteen years old, and he’s setting up his new dorm. Graduation came and went, Bokuto came out to see him receive his diploma, but Akaashi conveniently forgot to tell Bokuto where he would be attending college. 

It doesn't matter. He’ll know soon enough. Akaashi made sure everything was set up perfectly. The Sendai dorms are set up in a curious way, back to back but with a thin alley between buildings so that if one were to lean out the window they could reach into the neighboring dorm, just about. Akaashi made sure his dorm window was across the way from Bokuto’s.

With a dorm key given to him by Bokuto’s mother, Akaashi takes the cup and string he left on Bokuto’s bed so long ago and set’s it up. He works quickly, efficiently, and he finishes long before Bokuto is due to return from volleyball practice. 

It almost looks identical to the one Akaashi left strung up at their childhood homes.

Akaashi goes back to his dorm, the matching missing cup on his end, and he waits. He’s waited so long already, for the day he’s been preparing for since he was seventeen, so what was a bit longer? It feels like forever, but eventually Bokuto comes back. 

Akaashi can hear him through the open window, hear his exclamation of surprise at the new cup phone. And when Akaashi know’s Bokuto has got it pressed up to his ear, curious as to its purpose, that’s when he speaks.

“Did you wait for me?”

Akaashi steps out from behind his window, and revel’s in Bokuto’s look of shock.

“Akaashi?” Bokuto spoke quietly, but his voice rang loud through the cup phone. 

Akaashi could only smile. “I’ve come to join you.”

“So you put this here after all? I knew it!” Bokuto exclaimed.

“Yeah. But I’ve got an important question for you.” Speaking those words, Akaashi couldn't help but feel nostalgic for that night two years ago. He couldn't believe he remembered it so clearly.

Bokuto tilted his head slightly, looking to all the world like an owl.

Akaashi steeled himself. Deep breath in, Deep breath out.

“Do you know how much I love you?”

Bokuto’s eyes widen and Akaashi doesn't let himself stop. “I love you. I have for a long time. It took me a while, but i'm finally here.”

Bokuto was still silent. They simply stared at each other for a long while, and Akaashi grew nervous. “Bokuto-”

“I wish,” Bokuto’s voice suddenly rang through the cup phone, and Akaashi shut his mouth immediately. “I wish you told me sooner.”

“Huh?”

Bokuto looked up, finally meeting his eyes. “I wish you told me sooner. I wouldn't have had to wait.”

Akaashi simply stared at him in disbelief. “Does that mean…”

Bokuto grinned at him from his own window, the cup phone’s string lifting in the breeze, the scene exactly like ten years ago, when they set up their first cup phone. 

“I love you too, Akaashi!”

Akaashi is eighteen years old, and he knows Bokuto Koutarou loves him back.


End file.
